as in chat
friendly, informal conversation or an instance of this
at the corporate get-together we made the obligatory small talk with some people from the home office
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of small talk
As far as wellness trends go, small talk isn’t sexy.
—
Keith Wagstaff, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
There would be inane small talk and paperwork and at least one reminder from Ya that the laureate committee was watching.
—Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
The costars do more than small talk about their upcoming Peacock show.
—Sarah Rodman, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Mar. 2026
Researchers have found that people who ask each other progressively deeper questions reported significantly greater closeness than those who made small talk.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for small talk
Keith Wagstaff, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
There would be inane small talk and paperwork and at least one reminder from Ya that the laureate committee was watching.
—Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
The costars do more than small talk about their upcoming Peacock show.
—Sarah Rodman, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Mar. 2026
Researchers have found that people who ask each other progressively deeper questions reported significantly greater closeness than those who made small talk.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for small talk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for small talk
Noun
-
One scene found the toys dealing with being shunted aside by their owner Bonnie (Scarlett Spears), in favor of Lilypad (Greta Lee), a tablet designed in the face of a frog that allows its owner to build chat groups and play interactive games with friends for hours and hours.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
-
In this fireside chat, Debose and Peters offer a candid, distribution-side perspective on platform economics, content ownership, and audience monetization, breaking down who truly benefits in this evolving space.—
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Oil prices spiked to nearly $120 per barrel earlier in the conflict but had come down last week in the hope that the peace talks would yield some stability.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Last week, oil prices dropped more than 12% on hopes that the Islamabad talks would lead to an off-ramp for the administration to start winding down the war.—
Steve Kopack,
NBC news,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There was plenty of chatter about keeping an eye on the Lakers as a potential sleeper team in the West before Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) went down with injuries this month.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 2026
-
But most of his chatter during the night was about the larger issues that prompted the tour just a matter of weeks earlier.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
When the table talk turns political, Hagains suggests shifting your approach instead of your mood.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Nov. 2025
-
Each monthly box includes three recipe guides, skill lessons, a kitchen tool, a kitchen project, an apron patch, table talk cards, and a grocery list.—
Jessica Booth,
Parents,
16 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Small talk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/small%20talk. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
